Farewell Letter from Fr. Chris

As I prepare for my final Sunday as the Rector of Christ Church, I’d like to communicate my deep gratitude for the privilege of serving in this position for over ten years.

As a pastor I’ve been able to be with so many of you all in the holiest, most profound and important moments of life—your weddings, the birth of your children, your hospital beds, and at the funerals of your loved ones. Many of you have trusted me with your deepest pains and disappointments, and you’ve allowed me to listen, to be present, and ask God to bring comfort, healing, and strength.

Several of you have asked me to help you get married, others have asked me to help you stay married. Some have wrestled with difficult transitions in life—job losses, family changes, the breakdown of relationships—and you’ve allowed me, again, to listen, to be present, and, yes, to ask God for his gracious, powerful, loving presence to be known in the midst of the struggle.

Some of you have come to faith in Christ, others have navigated crises of faith. I’ve had the honor to be present with so many of you as you’ve taken risks for the sake of your faith in Christ—engaging wounds from your past with vulnerability, engaging those from whom you’ve been separated with forgiveness and hope, opening your families to vulnerable children, and opening your hearts to those you’ve perceived as threats, even enemies, believing that Jesus’ words are more reliable than the cultural forces who insist that we stay afraid.

As I reflect on the past ten years, these are the moments that come to the front of my mind, that have taken root in my heart, and for which I give thanks.

As my family and I prepare for a new season of life and ministry, I’m grateful that Christ Church is in a good place. The staff, the vestry, and the rector search team are prayerfully seeking God’s guidance for the next season of life and ministry here. Please continue your prayerful support for them, and, of course, Tracy and I deeply value your prayerful support for our next season, as well.

As I’ve been able to spend time with many of you over the past three weeks, I’ve been overwhelmed with a strange mix of gratitude and grief—gratitude for the gift of being in relationship with you all, and grief at the realization that, while many of these relationships will not end, they will certainly change.

And yet, I remain convinced that my work at Christ Church is done, but trust that the work of God at Christ Church will continue long after I take up my new responsibilities in Durham. For this, through the inevitable instability brought about my change, we can rest in a confident hope.

It is in this hope, and with my deepest gratitude, that I look forward to this Sunday, and to this new season, both for Christ Church and the Schutte family. God, in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit, continues to work toward the renewal of all things, and he continues to invite us to be a part of it. That much won’t change as we continue to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Let it be so.

Peace,

Chris